The spokesperson of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Fire Service, Ibrahim Tauheed has confirmed that no lives were lost in the fire that ravaged the Samsung Headquarters near Banex Junction in Wuse 2, Abuja, on Monday night.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, Mr Tauheed said the fire was caused by careless welding activities near a pile of empty, combustible cartons in the Samsung building, which housed Samsung products.
He said the fire service received a distress call from one Ms Ngozi, the owner of Mozini Spa, situated behind Furniture House, at 7:38 pm on Monday.
He said fire-fighters from Asokoro Fire Station arrived at the scene five minutes later, but were attacked by some hoodlums who threw stones at their fire trucks.
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According to him, the fire-fighters had to take an alternate route to Ahmadu Bello Way and alerted the police control room for assistance.
He further added the police personnel arrived shortly and dispersed the unruly crowd with gunshots and tear gas, allowing the fire-fighters to commence their operations.
He also said the fire had already spread throughout the two-storey building and posed a threat to the nearby filling station and other structures.
He said the fire-fighters from multiple stations and agencies worked tirelessly to contain the fire and prevent it from spreading further.
He confirmed the fire was finally put out at 1:37 am on Tuesday, after burning for over six hours.
He noted the fire service maintained one station each from the Federal Fire Service and FCT Fire Service on standby until the morning.
He added the acting director of FCT Fire Service, Engr. Zacchaeus Adebayo, closely monitored the operations from the onset until the end.
He commended the fire-fighters for their bravery and dedication, and promised to improve their operational conditions.
He, however, urged the public to be more careful and vigilant in handling flammable materials and to report any fire incident promptly.